Discovery of the Gaume region

Please note: revised dates !

A weekend outing in September (Sat 13 – Sun 14) to the Gaume region of Belgium.

Gaume is a region in the southeast of Belgium. At a lower altitude than the Ardennes, it borders the French region of Lorraine to the south, the Land of Arlon to the east, and the Belgian part of the Ardennes to the north.

It was part of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg till 1839, when it was integrated in the newly created Belgian province of Luxembourg. The unofficial capital of the Gaume region is Virton.

Temperatures in this region are often 1 °C to 3 °C higher than in other parts of the province of Luxembourg because of a distinctive microclimate.

In cultural terms, Gaume is the Romance-speaking part of what is now called Belgian Lorraine. The Lorrain language, a langue d’oïl that is distinct from the Walloon language, is a minority language in Gaume, where it is known as Gaumais. Although it is declining, several local authors are trying to revive its usage. Lorrain is recognized as a regional language of Wallonia.

Preliminary planning (will be updated closer to date)

Saturday
• Start in Musée de Gaume, around 11 am
• 12.30 h Dinner at Auberge d Orval (15 min drive from the Musée )
• 15h: Visit abbey & brewery of Orval (2 hours)
• Short local walk and drive to hotel ( 15 min)
• Check in > apero and dinner in the hotel

Sunday
• Breakfast and check out
• Visit Quarry or Chateau de Chiny
• Group lunch (venue to be decided)
• Afternoon, 2 à 3 hours nature discovering walk, venue depends on the weather forecast.